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doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.10.003 | How to Cite or Link Using DOI
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A public-professional web-bridge for vaccines and vaccination: User concerns about vaccine safety

Alberto L. Garc?a-Basteiroa, b, Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Mar?a-Jos? ?lvarez-Pasqu?nc, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Guillermo Menaa, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Anna Llupi?a, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Marta Aldeaa, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Guillermo Sequeraa, Sergi Sanzb, g, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Jose Tuellsd, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Jos?-Antonio Navarro-Alonsoe, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Javier de Ar?stegu?f, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Jos?-Mar?a Bayasa, E-mail The Corresponding Author
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a Preventative Medicine and Epidemiology Unit, Hospital Cl?nic, c/Villarroel 174, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
b Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB, Hospital Cl?nic-Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain
c Santa Hortensia Primary Health Care Center, c/Santa Hortensia 14, 28002 Madrid, Spain
d University of Alicante, Campus San Vicente de Raspeig, Ap.99, 03080 Alicante, Spain
e Prevention Service, Regional Department of Health, Ronda de Levante 11, 30008 Murcia, Spain
f Pediatrics Department, Hospital Universitario de Basurto, Bilbao, Spain
g Biostatistics Unit, Public Health Department, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

Received 2 June 2011; revised 6 September 2011; Accepted 3 October 2011. Available online 23 October 2011.
Abstract

Vacunas.org (http://www.vacunas.org), a website founded by the Spanish Association of Vaccinology offers a personalized service called Ask the Expert, which answers any questions posed by the public or health professionals about vaccines and vaccination. The aim of this study was to analyze the factors associated with questions on vaccination safety and determine the characteristics of questioners and the type of question asked during the period 2008?2010. A total of 1341 questions were finally included in the analysis. Of those, 30% were related to vaccine safety. Questions about pregnant women had 5.01 higher odds of asking about safety (95% CI 2.82?8.93) than people not belonging to any risk group. Older questioners (>50 years) were less likely to ask about vaccine safety compared to younger questioners (OR: 0.44, 95% CI 0.25?0.76). Questions made after vaccination or related to influenza (including H1N1) or travel vaccines were also associated with a higher likelihood of asking about vaccine safety. These results identify risk groups (pregnant women), population groups (older people) and some vaccines (travel and influenza vaccines, including H1N1) where greater efforts to provide improved, more-tailored vaccine information in general and on the Internet are required.
Highlights

► We analyzed users? questions posed to a Spanish evidence-based vaccine website. ► We studied factors associated with asking questions about vaccine safety. ► Questions about travel, pregnancy or influenza H1N1 were more likely to be related to vaccine safety. ► Older questioners (>50 years) were less likely to ask about vaccine safety. ► The results show where online safety information about vaccines can be improved.

ScienceDirect
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X11015970